Bond is back! After the events of Skyfall there has been an inquest into the 00 program. Denby (Scott) is trying to set up a global surveillance network that will make the 00 program obsolete. M has to battle with these politics while Bond is on a personal mission, uncovering the layers of a secret organization called Spectre, and the sinister man that leads it.

People are crazy for Bond. I went to go to a 1930 showing and that was sold out. The next three showings only had a handful of seats left, so me and my friend had to wait until the 915 one, which was only put on because they cancelled a showing of The Last Witch Hunter (sorry Vin Diesel). So it’s pretty safe to say that this film is going to make a lot of money. But is it any good?

I liked it but I didn’t love it, but I think every Bond fan is going to enjoy it because there are a lot of elements that speak to past Bond films, and in some ways this feels like a love letter to them, with many references popping up here and there (but don’t worry, they don’t feel gratuitous and don’t get in the way of the plot).

It is the longest Bond film to date but I didn’t feel that it dragged in any places, although I’m not sure if that will be the case upon any repeat viewings. The theme of the film is basically asking if there’s a place for Bond in the world now, and also touches on the dangers of complete surveillance. But there’s plenty of action, and all the set-pieces and explosions are epic, and the close combat scenes are intense. The acting is good across the board although I feel that there could have been some flashbacks to deepen Waltz’s character, although of course this would have meant sacrificing some other parts of the film. I was also disappointed that Bautista’s role was as a silent henchmen because he showed in Guardians of the Galaxy that he could bring more depth to a role than just simply being a brute.

I do like how these films have a string of continuity between them, although I’m wondering if Craig is done with the role whether they will continue to have that continuity or just begin something anew.

So yeah, Spectre is a good film with a lot of elements that Bond fans will enjoy, but it’s just lacking that extra spark to really push it onto greatness.